Magnetoresistive components are utilized in a variety of magnetic sensing applications. Among the applications that magnetic sensing devices find usefulness in are operations, such as, for example, navigation, position sensing, current sensing, vehicle detection, and rotational displacement. Many types of magnetic sensors are in use, but essentially all provide at least one output signal that represents the magnetic field sensed by the device. The Earth, magnets, and electrical currents can all generate magnetic fields. The sensor may be able to detect the presence, the strength, and/or the direction of the magnetic field. The strength of the magnetic field may be represented by a magnitude and a polarity (positive or negative). The direction of the magnetic field may be described by its angular position with respect to the sensor. One of the benefits of using magnetic sensors is that the output of the sensor is generated without the use of contacts. This is a benefit because over time contacts can degrade and cause system failures.
One type of magnetoresistive component that is often used in magnetic sensors is the anisotropic magnetoresistive (AMR) element. In high aspect (i.e., length to width) AMR sensor devices, for example, magnetic biasing is typically accomplished utilizing either equipotential straps located on top of the AMR sensing device that are oriented at angle, thereby biasing the current, or by utilizing an adjacent magnetic film or current to create a magnetic field that exerts a force on the magnetization. One of the problems with such devices is that the film structures associated with these devices are relatively complicated. It is therefore believed that an enhanced film structure as disclosed herein can be implemented to simplify the magnetic sensor fabrication while providing an improved and enhanced off-axis rejection.